How Could I Resist?
by WickedForGood13
Summary: Alternate ending to 'The Big Bang' - The Doctor says goodbye to his mad impossible Amy Pond before sacrificing himself to the cracks in time. But what happens when confessions are made?


"He wants to talk to you," said River to Amy, who shakily made her way to the opening of the Pandorica.

"Hi," she whispered, the tears already threatening to fall. But she had to be strong – for the Doctor's sake, if nothing else – and hold them inside, at least for a little while.

"Amy Pond, the girl who waited … in her garden all night," he whispered, breathing slightly labored. Obviously the Dalek had done _something_ to him, more so than he was letting on. "Was it worth it?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Shut up, of course it was," Amy replied automatically. How could he think otherwise?

"You asked me why I was taking you with me and I said, 'No reason.' I was lying."

"It's not important," Amy said.

"It's the most important thing in the universe. It's why I'm doing this."

"Alright, then, Doctor – if it's so important – why did you ask me to come along?"

"Because I love you," he replied simply, "And the opportunity to be alone with you was too good to pass up. How could I resist? I love you, and thought that I could cheat time – at least for a little while – by stealing you away in the middle of the night."

Amy stared at him for a moment, completely flabbergasted by his revelation. Then, "Get out of there, Doctor."

"What?" he was startled by her sudden outburst. "Amy, I have to do this. It's my TARDIS – I'm the only one who can end this."

"Doctor, _I_. _Love_. _You_," she declared forcefully. "And I'm not about to let you sacrifice yourself when there might be another way."

"Amy, there isn't," he said, attempting to reason with her. Of course, he didn't _want_ his entire existence to be erased – he never wanted for Amy to forget him – but there truly wasn't another way. "Don't you think I would have thought of something else, if a way could be found?" he asked her gently.

Amy's lip trembled as she came to the realization that there really was nothing to be done – it had to be like this. Her Doctor, her _Raggedy_ Doctor, had to become forgotten, by her and by everyone else.

"Actually," came a voice from behind them, and Amy turned to discover that River Song had apparently been listening – as had Rory. "There _is_ another way," River revealed.

"How?" asked Amy. "You heard him. He's the only one."

"No, he isn't, Amy," said River, placing a loving hand on her shoulder. "He's just too selfless to let me do what he's trying to do. But, Amy—" here, she turned serious. "Are you sure about your choice? You won't ever change your mind?"

"I waited fourteen years for him," Amy countered sharply. "And I won't ever stop. I _never_ will, do you hear?"

"Then my time is up," declared River.

"What do you mean?" asked Rory, finally speaking up. Amy met his eyes briefly before looking down, too ashamed to maintain contact.

"Amy's choice is the Doctor, Rory – not you," she said slowly. "Unfortunately, that means that I no longer exist, for I was your and Amy's daughter in what is now an alternate timeline. However, that timeline is now being erased, as is all of creation. And the only way to fix things is to do what the Doctor had planned. The weight of the universe doesn't have to rest on his shoulders alone, though. Since my erasure is only a matter of time, it makes much more sense for me to take the Doctor's place."

"River …" the Doctor whispered, his voice filled with guilt, while his eyes betrayed the relief he felt at being allowed to remain with his friends. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," she said, taking Amy's place in front of him. "You and she belong together. And who am I to stand in the way of my love and my mother's happiness? Now – come here, you." And with that, she slipped one of his arms across her shoulders and hauled him to his feet. Delivering him to Amy and Rory, who now bore his weight across their own shoulders, she returned to strap herself inside the Pandorica. Taking one last look at her family – for all intents and purposes – she bade them a fond farewell. "You won't remember me, but don't fret. I've enjoyed our time together – it's been fun … Goodbye, sweeties." And with that, the Pandorica closed forever, sealing her off from the world and launching her into the middle of a time explosion.

Pushing Amy and Rory down to the ground where they'd be safe, the Doctor stood his ground, determined to watch the Pandorica's final moments. As it shot through the ceiling, though, he was thrown off his feet, landing directly between his two companions. Then, everything went black.

When they all came to, they were inside a fully-functional TARDIS once more, orbiting Planet Earth.

"Wh-wha-what happened?" Rory finally dared to ask.

"Time went BOOM!" explained the Doctor, demonstrating the explosion with his hands. "But now, we're back on track. Where to next, you lot?"

"Hold on – I _remember_," said Rory. "There was a choice, and Amy chose you. Isn't that right?" he asked, looking back and forth between them. Even without answering, their silence told him more than words could have. "Okay," he said, surprisingly calm. "I'm not all that surprised, to be honest. Do you have any idea what it's like being around you two when you're trying to pretend you don't like each other?"

Amy and the Doctor looked at each other, then at Rory, wondering why he wasn't more upset.

"You guys …" Rory actually shook his head in amusement. "You're so _blind_. Don't you see? It's always been you two. You've always been meant to be. I was just getting in the way. So you can drop me off at Leadworth, Doctor, and with my blessing. Just treat her right, and we won't have any problems. Deal? If not, though, just know that time and space won't keep me from hunting you down."

"Rory!" Amy exclaimed, running to him and throwing her arms around his neck enthusiastically. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear as he returned the hug, albeit somewhat awkwardly. "And … I'm sorry. I care for you, I really do. And I always have. It's just—"

"You care for him more. I get it. It's fine, Amy – honest, it is. I just want what's best for you, and if that's him …" Rory let his voice trail off. "Take care of yourself," he said at last.

"You too," Amy replied, squeezing him back so tightly that he thought she'd cut off his oxygen supply.

"Alright, Amy – let the poor man breathe," said the Doctor, arriving just in time to pry her off of Rory.

"Sorry, sorry," she murmured contritely.

"No harm done," said Rory, smiling encouragingly at her. "Goodbye, Doctor," he continued, holding out his hand for the other man to shake.

"Goodbye, Rory. You've been a good companion, and a good man. It has been an honor traveling with you."

"And with you," he replied sincerely. "Well," he said, when he realized that they'd come to a grounding halt. "I'll be seeing you." With that, he turned and walked out without another word. But none were needed. What could be said, anyway?

"So …" said the Doctor, fiddling with the controls as he waited for Amy to say or do something. Even if it was to slap him for almost sacrificing himself, he'd take that over her silence.

Amy stood frozen in place, fiddling with her scarf. She might have made her choice, but it had been without consulting the Doctor. She had no idea if he felt the same way, or if he was now going to drop her off somewhere, abandoning her again.

"Hey," said the Doctor, suddenly in her face as he raised a hand to tenderly wipe away her tears with the pads of his thumbs. "Why so sad?"

Hiccupping slightly, she gave a wet laugh. "Because I don't know how you feel about me. I made a choice without examining all the evidence. I let my emotions rule over reason. I was completely and utterly _human_."

The Doctor started laughing, which was the last thing Amy had expected for him to do. "Amy," he said. "After all we've been through, how could I _not_ love you? And, in case you've forgotten, I _have_ said how I feel … in the Pandorica, before River took my place. You asked me why I took you with me and I said it was because I love you. Remember?"

"How could I forget?" asked Amy, bewildered.

"Probably a side effect of the universe rebooting," the Doctor speculated. Amy just nodded, still not really understanding. "Amy, look at me," the Doctor ordered gently. Placing his hands on either side of her dampened cheeks, he raised her head to meet his eyes. "I love you." And the look in his eyes was such that Amy couldn't have doubted his sincerity. "It's always been about you … everything I've ever seen or done has been to reach this point. I love you, and never want to be parted from you again."

Only now did Amy allow herself to smile. "I love you too, Doctor," she replied, matching him look for look. "I have ever since I was a little girl. And the years I spent waiting only served to make our reunion all the sweeter."

"Amy, can I kiss you?" asked the Doctor, desperate for contact and to seal his promise to the girl he'd unknowingly given his hearts to.

"Yeah," she said, and tilted her head, closing her eyes as he bent to meet her.

That first kiss was like nothing either had ever experienced before. True, the Doctor had had his share of kisses with various companions and people he had met on his travels. But this kiss with Amy surpassed them all. And as for Amy, her work as a kiss-o-gram had given her lots of experience in regards to various techniques. But kissing the Doctor made her forget all of that. With him, she was a young girl again, receiving her first kiss on her her front porch, while her aunt waited inside for her.

And as they kissed, they saw the future that awaited them – and together they would face it. The Doctor and Amy Pond, and the days to come.


End file.
